Bangkok Bonanza

From street markets to elaborate temples, there's something in Bangkok for everyone. Read this 2-day itinerary to prepare for your city adventure.

Bangkok is the vibrant capital of Thailand, it's been popular with tourists and backpackers and has only been growing in popularity. Once a small trading post during the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Bangkok, or Krung Thep in Thai has evolved into a bustling metropolis. Considered the political, economic, and cultural heart of the nation it appeals to many. Famous for it's energy, whether in the serene moments of quiet temples or the lively atmosphere of its markets. This city, with its diverse offerings is seen as the captivating gateway into the heart of Thai culture and identity.

When to visit Bangkok?

The best time to visit Bangkok is during the dry season, which typically extends from December to April. This period ensures sunny days and minimal rainfall, providing ideal conditions for beach activities, water sports, and exploring the the country's natural beauty. The months of June to September constitute the monsoon season, characterized by heavy rains and rough seas. While the island's landscape becomes lush and green during this time, it may not be the most suitable for outdoor activities.

Sitting Buddha is a common statue you'll see

How to get to Bangkok?

Reaching Bangkok is extremely easy with it's international airport. If flying from outside southeast asia, you will most likely have a layover in Japan or South Korea. However, from southeast asia and other parts of Thailand there are many direct flight options. If you're travelling on more of a budget or backpacker style then consider taking a local train or bus.

How to get around Bangkok?

A common way to get around in south east Asia is to use the app Grab, which is similar to Uber. It is the way to go here in Thailand, and we had no issues in Vietnam either. Rates are very affordable and we never had to wait long for the tuk tuk or car to show up.

What to do in Bangkok?

Day 1: Markets!

Some of Bangkok's most iconic and top visited attractions are it's markets. Whether you are looking to try Thai food, shop for souvenirs or just soak up the lively atmosphere, you need to visit some of Bangkok's markets. Our first stop of the day was Chatuchak Market, a popular weekend market. This market is in the northern end of Bangkok, accessible by public transit. However, I'm not sure if it was google maps or user error, but we had a really hard time taking public transit here. The buses didn't seem to go where google said they were going. Thankfully, the bus attendants (you pay a person not a machine) were able to advise us on how to navigate to our destinations.

After Chatuchak Market we ventured into Chinatown, locally known as Yaowarat. You'll want to make sure you're hungry when you head here as you'll be tempted to try lots. You'll have options to buy the more common Pad Thai or mango sticky rice, but also larvae, crickets and scorpions on a stick!

Chinatown is also famous for it's jewelry stores, specifically gold shops. You'll notice people lined up down the block at many of them and appointments may be required. Gold holds immense cultural significance in Thailand, symbolizing wealth, prosperity, and auspiciousness. Gold is also viewed highly as an investment for financial security, making these shops popular with all.

Next up we'll take a break from the markets and eating to visit a local iconic temple. Wat Phra Kaew or the Golden Wat is both beautiful and culturally significant. You can walk to the Grand Palace complex from Chinatown if you'd like or catch a Grab. Women make sure your shoulders are covered and no wearing shorts, sarongs are available to purchase if you forget a covering. This beautiful and intricate temple attracts many visitors for it's golden spires, the revered Emerald Buddha and a stunning view of the city. You will have to climb up 82 meters on a spiral staircase to visit this temple, but you will be rewarded with a view of the Bangkok skyline.

We decided to rest at our hotel for the rest of the afternoon so we could have a late dinner at the famous Khao San Road. This infamous road caters to backpackers around the world, with many popular hostels being along it. The road is not only lined with budget accommodations, but international restaurants, lively bars and vibrant market stalls. As you walk down the street restaurant employees will stand at their door way yelling their specials out to you. If you want to try some Thai beer you'll have find lots of good and affordable options here. Like Chinatown, you'll find lots of street vendors selling local food, or if you're feeling more adventurous you can try some grilled alligator!

Day 2: Boat Tour

Our original plan for our second day in Bangkok was to explore the Grand Palace and some of the temples in the surrounding areas. However, everyone including our tuk tuk driver kept pushing us to take a river cruise to see the city that way. A quick google search informed us that this is 1.5 hour boat tour amongst the top things to do in Bangkok so we decided to give it a shot!

We negotiated the rate we'd like, the stops we wanted and off we went to our boat. There was only one other couple on it so we figured it would be an easy and leisurely tour. The downside we've found to doing large group tours is that you only move so fast as the slowest person which could mean missing something or sitting around waiting. Our boat quickly left the dock and headed down river. And then it turned around and went back to the dock to pick up more passengers. No worries, this is still a short river cruise and we'll still have time to visit the palace and temples after...

Two hours later we are still at the first stop of our 1.5 hour boat tour. At this point, we are feeling quite frustrated as we are sitting on the boat and waiting to depart, but the others haven't shown up. We are at the floating market, which really isn't a market but one restaurant. Shane and the guide have both gone to look for the others and can't find them. Finally we manage to convince our guide that we should continue without them.

We had a quick visit at Wat Arun, one of the most famous temples here thanks to it's ceramic artwork before heading on. At this point we're more hot and tired than we are interested in sightseeing.

Our last stop, where the tour ends is Wat Pho. This temple is most famous for it's giant golden reclining Buddha statue. This statue symbolizes the passing of the Buddha into Nirvana. Nirvana, in Buddhism, represents the state of liberation and freedom from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. This impressive statue is 15 meters tall and 46 meters long. It can be hard to capture it's beauty in a photo due to it's size. It is fully fenced off, with multiple nooks to get a better view and grab a photo.

While this Buddha statue makes the temple worth visiting on it's own, there is a large temple complex to explore. With many different styles of architecture, you'll love your visit here.

If you decide to partake on a boat tour while in Bangkok, do so at your own risk! We may have just been unlucky since the other tourists didn't respect the time given for a place, but we're not sure it's worth it even looking past that. The boat offers little protection from the sun, the floating market wasn't really a market, and the speed of the tour is highly dependent on the lock systems it has to go through.

Bonus: How to Avoid being Scammed

Get a Sim Card

• This is essential so you have access to maps, messaging, and looking up places on the go.

Use Grab

• Using a ride hailing app means you know your fare and exactly where the driver will take you.

It's not closed!

• Drivers will often tell you a place is closed to avoid taking you there. This ties into the point above: they either don't get a commission there or they want to take you somewhere they get a commission.